Williamsport, Pa. – In a game that featured 24 runs on 30 hits, the Crosscutters took a 14-10 decision over the Spikes to open their four-game set on Thursday night at Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field.
The Spikes opened the scoring early, plating three first inning runs against Williamsport starter, Brett Antolick.
Williamsport’s bats erased the deficit in the bottom of the second inning, plating three runs of their own. George Malone opened the scoring with a RBI ground out to score Chance Jennings, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
Kyle Schupmann and Chris Stanfield followed with back-to-back two-out RBI doubles, tying the game at 3-3.
Ben Tyron opened the bottom of the 4th with a triple down the right field line and was later plated by a triple off the bat of Jennings to give Williamsport a 4-3 lead. It was the first time this season the Cutters collected multiple triples in the same inning.
The Spikes answered with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning, chasing Brett Antolick. Antolick who had not allowed more than a run in any start, battled his command, allowing five runs on five hits and five walks in the no decision.
Again, the Williamsport bats came to the aide of their pitchers, scoring eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Seeing the first three batters reach in the inning, Brodey Acres singled off the wall in left center, scoring two to give Williamsport a 6-5 advantage.
Two batters later, Amari Allen swatted a two-run single to right field, upping the lead to 8-4. Chance Jennings followed with a RBI single to right making it 9-4. Malone added a RBI single to make it 10-4.
Schupmann closed out the outburst, driving in two more with a single to center, making it 12-4.
Cooper Dossett, entered in the top of the fourth inning and gave the Crosscutters 1.1 innings of scoreless/hitless relief. Dossett walked two and struck out two as he earned his second win of the season.
The Spikes would not go quietly, plating a run in the top of the sixth against Cutters reliever Max McEwen to make it 12-6 going to the bottom of the sixth.
George Malone drove in his third run of the game and Chris Stanfield picked up his second RBI double of the night, as Williamsport took a 14-6 lead.
The Spikes plated two more run against McEwen in the seventh and then added two more in the top of the eight against Dallis Moran to cut the deficit to 14-10 heading to the ninth.
Moran settled in, retired the Spikes in the top of the ninth inning to close out a high-scoring affair.
With the win, paired with a Trenton loss, the Crosscutters take a half-game lead over the Thunder with three games left in the 1st half.
The series shifts to State College for a 6:35 pm first pitch on Friday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Cutters Carvings: The Crosscutters collected a season-high, 20 hits in the win… Kyle Shupmann (4-6) and Chris Stanfield (4-5) are the first Cutters to record four-hit games in the same night this season… Schupmann extended his on-base streak to 20-straight games…
